Video Messaging

1. A communications method, comprising: initiating an instant messaging session between a sender and a recipient; transmitting an instant message to a server; receiving an authentication report from the server indicating that the recipient is a valid recipient; receiving a report from the server that contains capability information of the recipient; transmitting a video messaging session initiation request to the server; receiving a report from the server that a video messaging session has been established between the sender and the recipient; generating a video message; and transmitting the video message to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sender is associated with a first subscriber and the recipient is associated with a second subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating an instant messaging session comprises: transmitting, to the server, an access request from the sender, the request comprising first subscriber identity information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication report is created based on matching identity information corresponding to the sender and the recipient with identity information corresponding to valid subscribers stored in a reverse look-up table.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability information comprises an indication of the capability of the recipient to receive video instant messages.

6. A computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is storing instructions for: initiating an instant messaging session between a sender and a recipient; transmitting an instant message to a server; receiving an authentication report from the server indicating that the recipient is a valid recipient; receiving a report from the server that contains capability information of the recipient; transmitting a video messaging session initiation request to the server; receiving a report from the server that a video messaging session has been established between the sender and the recipient; generating a video message; and transmitting the video message to the recipient.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the sender is associated with a first subscriber and the recipient is associated with a second subscriber.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein initiating an instant messaging session comprises: transmitting, to the server, an access request from the sender, the request comprising first subscriber identity information.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the authentication report is created based on matching identity information corresponding to the sender and the recipient with identity information corresponding to valid subscribers stored in a reverse look-up table.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the capability information comprises an indication of the capability of the recipient to receive video instant messages.

11. A communications method comprising: receiving, at a server, an instant message that is addressed from a sender to a recipient; transmitting, from the server, an authentication report indicating that the recipient is a valid recipient; transmitting, from the server, a report that contains capability information of the recipient; receiving, from at least one of the sender or the recipient, a video messaging session initiation request; generating, by the server, a report that a video messaging session has been established between the sender and the recipient; and enabling the transmission a of a video message from the sender to the recipient.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sender is associated with a first subscriber and the recipient is associated with a second subscriber.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising initiating an instant messaging session between the sender and the recipient, wherein initiating the instant messaging session comprises: receiving, by the server, an access request from the sender, the request comprising first subscriber identity information; receiving, by the server, an access request from the recipient, the request comprising second subscriber identity information; verifying, by the server, the first subscriber identity information and the second identity information; and authorizing access to the server by the sender and the recipient.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the authentication report is created by matching identity information corresponding to the sender and the recipient with identity information corresponding to valid subscribers stored in a reverse look-up table.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the capability information comprises an indication of the capability of the recipient to receive video instant messages.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving, at a server, an instant message that is addressed from a sender to a recipient; transmitting, from the server, an authentication report indicating that the recipient is a valid recipient; transmitting, from the server, a report that contains capability information of the recipient; receiving, from at least one of the sender or the recipient, a video messaging session initiation request; generating, by the server, a report that a video messaging session has been established between the sender and the recipient; and enabling the transmission a of a video message from the sender to the recipient.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the sender is associated with a first subscriber and the recipient is associated with a second subscriber.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises initiating an instant messaging session between the sender and the recipient, and wherein initiating the instant messaging session comprises: receiving, by the server, an access request from the sender, the request comprising first subscriber identity information; receiving, by the server, an access request from the recipient, the request comprising second subscriber identity information; verifying, by the server, the first subscriber identity information and the second identity information; and authorizing access to the server by the sender and the recipient.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the authentication report is created by matching identity information corresponding to the sender and the recipient with identity information corresponding to valid subscribers stored in a reverse look-up table.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the capability information comprises an indication of the capability of the recipient to receive video instant messages.